Kwik Kopy store in Sydney refuses to print posters for WorldPride roller derby event

A Sydney business has come under fire for refusing to print posters for a WorldPride roller derby event due to the franchisee’s ‘Christian faith’.

A gay hate row has erupted in Sydney on the eve of WorldPride.

CBD printing business Kwik Kopy refused to print flyers for an official Pride Match roller derby event that is taking place on Friday night at the Hordern Pavilion on the basis of religious beliefs.

The Kwik Kopy head office, which is the franchisor of 43 stores across Sydney, moved to make amends for the brewing scandal when contacted by The Daily Telegraph — as the Market Street franchisee doubled down on her stance.

“We are into our 40th year of business and it has always been our aim to provide a consistent level of service and reliability. Leo, I am unable to print this job for you,” owner Wing Khong wrote in her original refusal email to the Sydney roller derby player.

“I am a Christian and my faith requires me to obey what the Bible teaches. I hope you understand.”

Roller derby skaters in the Sydney Roller Derby League Vanessa Peterson and Leo Bunch. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The 1984 Sex Discrimination Act states that it is illegal to refuse goods or services based on sexuality or gender.

“I’m still processing it,” Roller Derby League skater Leo Bunch, 33, said.

“It’s 2023, I just walked through two train stations absolutely smothered in Pride flags, and the content they weren’t happy to print was some logos for the different teams.”

The Pride Match team names on the posters (Butches, Femmes, Rainbows, and Sparkles) are “tongue-in-cheek” references to gay stereotypes, given the sport’s popularity with queer women.

The refusal letter Sydney CBD Kwik Kopy owner Wing Khong wrote to the Sydney Roller Derby League.

“It’s common for fans to bring homemade signs, and for WorldPride we wanted to provide them,” Bunch continued.

“There’s nothing particularly inflammatory, nothing sexual about them. I’m in shock.”

When asked what material warranted the refusal, Khong said: “I have no comment to make other than to say we need to respect one another in the view and position we take.”

However, Kwik Kopy Australia CEO Sonia Swabsky issued a swift and grovelling apology.

“We are genuinely sorry for the recent experience Leo had at one of our centres,” she said.

“This is by no means reflective of our values and code of conduct, of which every franchisee is versed. Our organisation embraces a richness of cultures, and a look into the make-up of our teams to reinforce our stance on diversity.”

The event poster Wing Khong refused to print.

Swabsky also offered Bunch complimentary printing to support the event, and is “currently in direct discussions with the franchise owner involved”.

Nicholas Stewart, partner at Dowson Turco Lawyers, has acted in large discrimination cases for the LGBTQ+ community. He said the incident may invoke Section 22 of Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act, which relates to the sale of goods or services.

The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 states: “It is unlawful for a person who, whether for payment or not, provides goods or services, or makes facilities available, to discriminate against another person on the ground of the other person’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, marital or relationship status, pregnancy or potential pregnancy, or breastfeeding.”

Stewart says that “generally, religious belief is not a defence to discrimination when it comes to the provision of goods and services in Australia”.

The only circumstance in which a religious person or organisation has an exemption, he added, “is when they have a religious body and the conduct relates to them offering their religious services or premises to people, and then of course in schools”.

He continued: “Incidents of alleged LGBTQ discrimination … enlivens the debate about whether people with religious views or affiliations should have the right to determine who they trade with in commerce.”

It’s his view that “no human right is superior, we are all equal under international human rights law”.

Mr Stewart said he believed people of religious faiths should also have protection when buying goods and services.

Bunch and her teammate Vanessa Peterson, 46, would prefer any intensity involving their sport to happen with skates on.

“I’m white and cisgender, so I don’t cop a lot of this,” Bunch said.

“But unfortunately there are some people out there holding onto some things that they’re not often saying out loud.”

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